Cantal Update?

[Brie]

Any updates on your Cantal, Sailor (or anyone else whose tried his recipe)? Planning to make one this afternoon as it seems so easy, but never heard the final results of yours.
Thanks!

[Sailor Con Queso]

I'm wating another 2 weeks to cut it.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Cut the Cantal for a Valentine's party on February 13th, one week over 90 days of aging.

Cantal is sometimes called a "French Cheddar" and I would have to agree. It definitely had a mild cheddar undertone, but not the sharp flavor of a true cheddar. It was about the same texture.

At 90 days, I felt that this still tasted like a very young cheese, and did NOT put it out for the party. (I served a fantastic Blueberry Stilton instead). So I re-vac-bagged the Cantal and put it back to age some more. I was absolutely NOT disappointed. I just feel that Cantal, like a good cheddar needs to age for at least 6 months to bring out the true flavor.

I did not get pics of the cut cheese, but you can see from the photos that the surface had a loose looking texture, even though it was pressed like CRAZY. Cantal may need a heavier pressing than a traditional cheddar. Wow.

The interior was not as open looking as the rind. When it was vac-bagged, the cheese did notseem nearly as loose. I believe that the Cantal shrank somewhat, creating a looser rind.

This is a very nice cheese, and really easy to make, especially when time is a factor. However, the necessity for a heavy pressing might make this more difficult for beginners.

[Brie]

So glad for the update, Sailor--I made one last month; yet could only press at 80#.  Decided to wax, and had some blue mold this week (1 month in cave). Vinegar wash and re-waxed. Yes, definnite need for heavy pressing--and I think you pressed at over 120#?

[MrsKK]

Thanks for the update, Sailor.  This may be on my list of cheeses to try sometime soon.  Now that I'm getting stocked up, I'm not so impatient to try them all right away.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Except for the heavy pressing, this no cook recipe is by far the quickest and easiest hard cheese to make that I have seen.

Looking at my notes, I pressed at 50# for 12 hours, milled, salted and then pressed at 120# for 2 days. Like Cheddars, salting after a 12 hour pressing makes really tough curds that don't knit together easily. I have not seen a "real" Cantal, so I don't know what the texture is "supposed" to look like. But it definitely needs more pressure to achieve a smooth knit. The next time I make a Cantal, I will press lighter (20-30#) for the first 12 hours. That should keep the moisture content higher and allow the salted curds to knit better during the final pressing.

This one needs plenty of time to age, so I won't reopen mine until it hits 6 months. Patience Grasshopper.

[Alex]

I found that googleing:

[Sailor Con Queso]

Thanks Alex. Zooming in shows a pretty rough texture that looks just like mine inside. But that one is WAY taller than mine.

This cheese pressed for 12 hours before salting and milling, so the curds were stone cold going into 2 days of heavy pressing. I am thinking about re-warming curds on cheeses like this. My idea is to heat the milled curds in a pot in a 100F water bath before the final pressing. I have also thought about wrapping the hoop with a heating pad to keep the cheese warmer.

[Alex]

Sailor, according to AOC the sizes of Cantal are 36-42 cm in dia, 35-40 cm high and 35-45 kg per wheel. There are three sizes: regular - about 40 kg, small - about 20 kg and Cantalet - about 10 kg.
Reality and experience taught us that heating the curds helps in pressing. I couldn't find numbers about pressing except this:

Casting and Pressing

A cloth lined mold is filled with ground tome, closed with a metal lid, and then passed through the press. Over the next 48 hours, the cheese will be passed through the press three or four times. The cloth is changed each time.

This type of press is used:

[Brie]

Oh, yeah, I have one of those presses in my home! Such an interesting cheese--mine has been waxed and cut open to remove mold and then re-waxed. Looking good. I knew this would happen with the inability to press at 125#, so there are crevises. Experimentation! Keep forwarding on your cantal notes, Sailor!

[DeejayDebi]

I want one of those presses in my home. Or something along those lines.

[Boofer]

Except for the heavy pressing, this no cook recipe is by far the quickest and easiest hard cheese to make that I have seen.

Looking at my notes, I pressed at 50# for 12 hours, milled, salted and then pressed at 120# for 2 days. Like Cheddars, salting after a 12 hour pressing makes really tough curds that don't knit together easily. I have not seen a "real" Cantal, so I don't know what the texture is "supposed" to look like. But it definitely needs more pressure to achieve a smooth knit. The next time I make a Cantal, I will press lighter (20-30#) for the first 12 hours. That should keep the moisture content higher and allow the salted curds to knit better during the final pressing.

This one needs plenty of time to age, so I won't reopen mine until it hits 6 months. Patience Grasshopper.

Sorry, Sailor, I was just out perusing the Cantal threads and found this. It's an old thread. Do you have the recipe close by?

-Boofer-

[Sailor Con Queso]

From 200 Easy...

[Boofer]

Got it, thanks.

There was a question among a bunch of folks whether the cheese actually turned out decently, given that the acidity seemed to be projected to drop through the floor.

How did yours fare?

I was looking to use my creamline for something different, but the threat of out-of-control acidity scared me off of Cantal...for now. I'd like to give it a go and really push my Dutch press to the limit...something I haven't really come close to doing. That, and I have yet to do anything close to a cheddar.

Tomorrow I will try Leiden (200 Easy Cheeses). I boiled a tablespoon of Cumin seeds today and will let it sit quietly to hopefully rehydrate further and be more tender for use tomorrow.

-Boofer-

[anutcanfly]

I pressed at 7 psi on my dutch press and the rind formed up nicely.  I haven't yet met a cheese I couldn't tame with 7 psi.  My Cantals are only 4 months old, so it's way to soon to slice into one.